15. The Perfect Plan

James' POV

"So how on Earth did you manage get out of that with just one detention?!" Sirius exclaimed as we jogged up the staircase.

"I have no idea! I just went into his office and talked it out with him and when I was with Mcgonagal, she was talking to me about Quittage and....I'm just amazed that I haven't been banned from the school yet." I announced in one breath.

"I often wonder why you aren't banned yet." Mooney grinned.

"Oh come off it, Mooney." I nudged him in the side, laughing.

A group of 4th year girls brushed past us and giggled. I looked at Peter and he blushed beet red. I smirked and slapped his back.

"Was that your girlfriend, Wormy?" I mocked.

"Oh...no she was far to pretty." He bowed his head.

"Hey, you can get any girl you want! Except Lily.....she's off limits." I swung an arm around his stout shoulders.

"Aw come on, not a chance." He grumbled.

"Peter," Sirius began, "how 'bout we get you a girl?"

"Aw yeah," I nodded and grinned at the idea, "I like the sound of that!"

"I don't know...." His voice trailed off.

"Come on!" Mooney egged, shaking his shoulders from behind.

He sighed and smiled a little.

"I guess so." He sighed.

"We got this one handled, Worm-miester." Sirius chuckled.

"Worm-miester?" Mooney asked arching his eyebrow at him.

"I like it." Sirius said in a posh tone, making a face.

We got to the portrait hole and Remus stepped up.

"Lemon tart." He croaked.

The lady nodded with respect in her eyes, allowing her painting to swing open. We shuffled in and saw a few stragglers sitting at tables working on spells or school work, but I ignored them. I was about to head up the staircase when I heard two girls giggling at the top of the girls' stairs. All four of us snapped our heads to look at each other and nodded. We all shuffled in unison towards the stairs and crabbed to hear.

"I just can't believe she said that." One voice cackled.

"Right! Like she was all like 'Oh why doesn't Sirius love me? He never looks at me, he only looks at Becky. Oh my life is soooo unfair!'" She mimicked her voice in a light, airy tone.

The other voice laughed hysterically. We all looked at Sirius who smirked. I punched him in the arm and he shot me a look, rubbing his arm.

"I know! She's so annoying, like why does Jennifer even hang out with her? If I had to hear that annoying voice all day long, I'd kill myself." She hissed.

"Same here! Come on, we're gonna be late to dinner and that's the highlight of my day."

The sound of feet thumping down the steps caused us to scramble into a closet, but only three could fit. So the slowest one was pushed out into the open as a sacrifice. Poor Wormtail.

"Peter, what are doing here?" One voice belonged to Elaine, one of Lily's friends.

"I uh.....I was just uh-" he sputtered nervously.

"Were you spying on us?! If you were, I'm going to report you to Dumbledore!" Jeannine screeched in her annoying tone.

Sirius looked at me and narrowed his eyes as if to ask how stupid could she be.

"I-I wasn't! I swear I was-" his eyes were open wide with fear as they advanced on him.

Elaine pointed her wand at him and opened her eyes wide. A shot of blue light burst from her wand followed by 20 small, yellow birds. They swarmed around Peter and pecked at his robes. They ran out of the dorms and the birds disabled into mere feathers as we came out of cover.

"Thanks guys."He grumbled, dusting off his robes.

Sirius shook his head as he jogged up the stairs.

•••

We sat the table for dinner and listened to Dumbledore speak about the fabulous day he had and how he's thinking about purchasing a South African pair of slippers. I looked at Sirius, who was cracking up at the thought. After he was finished, the plates filled and we all dove into the feast I had been waiting for all day.

I looked down the table and caught a flash of red hair about 12 people down. She was laughing with Jennifer , Marlee, and Elaine about something across the table from them. I craned my neck to see what- or who- it was. To my disgust, Sam sat across from Lily and was explaining some story, using his arms to show something soaring through the sky.

Her smile was wider than I'd ever seen before. My fave turned hot and I scowled in his direction. My fist slammed against table, causing my plate to bounce.

"Dammit." I cursed under my breath as I turned away from them.

How could she? Doesn't she know that I love her? That I could offer so much more than Sam could? It's not fair.

I carved my steak angrily and took a vicious bite.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" Sirius asked.

"Sam and Lily, that's what." I snapped.

"Well no need to bite my head off, mate. Where are they?" He asked.

I cocked my head in their direction.

"Over there." I grumbled, taking another vicious bite.

He too craned his head and sighed angrily.

"This must be stopped," he announced, "James Potter and Lily Evans are born to be together! And I'll be damned if I will see some jerk throw it all away." His voice was overly heroic.